


Knight in Shining Armor

by theartofdreaming



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2016-05-14
Packaged: 2018-06-08 06:52:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6843760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theartofdreaming/pseuds/theartofdreaming
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"pretending to date you because someone was obnoxiously hitting on you" AU<br/>Barry was just counting down the minutes until Cisco and Caitlin would 'allow' him to leave this boring, ordinary party - when he all of a sudden finds himself with a very pretty young woman in his arms, the evening is not so boring and ordinary anymore...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Knight in Shining Armor

“How long until I can leave?”

“Barry...” Cisco sighed, who finally stopped rummaging the snacks table for any sort of gummy bears, “I think Caitlin and I were pretty specific when we said that you have to stay at least until midnight before we let you hole up in your fortress of nerditude again.” – a wide smile flashed over Cisco's face, his naming skills were impeccable – “And this coming from me should mean something to you.” He gave Barry a pointed look, the ' **Bazinga!** ' t-shirt the engineering student was currently wearing certainly helped his case, “and by the way man, we both know that you have a perfectly functional watch... so you _know_ how long until we'll let you go.”

Barry's shoulders slumped in defeat. Yeah, he knew that he had still 87 minutes and a couple of seconds to suffer through before his friends would allow him to go back to his room.... but man, did he dislike these kind of college parties; the music was barely tolerable (just the generic electronic/club music, with the occasional songs that one actually liked – at least, this time the music was not too loud to make any kind of conversation impossible) and there were, like, **a lot** of people Barry did not even know at all. Actually, he was pretty sure that aside from Cisco, Caitlin, Caitlin's boyfriend Ronnie (who had surprisingly managed to persuade Caitlin to join him on the dance floor) and his chem lab partner Patty he had seen earlier, Barry knew no one here.

Cisco's eyes got caught on something (or rather someone) behind Barry, “oh...”; Barry didn't even have to turn around to know who his friend was looking at.

“It's Laurel, isn't it?” He couldn't help but smirk, Cisco's recent (and quite persistent) crush on Laurel Lance, an aspiring law student, wasn't exactly subtle.

“Maybe...” Cisco replied hesitantly, still staring.

“Maybe you should go and talk to her; I'll be fine on my own,” Barry suggested, hoping to be able to leave earlier this way.

Cisco finally tore his eyes away from the jurist. “Are you saying that as a friend or just because you think you're gonna be able to sneak off sooner then?”

“Ehm... both?” _**Goddammit, he just couldn't lie to save his life!**_

“Thought so...” Then again, the engineering student actually seemed tempted to try his luck, “fine, I'll go! But don't even think about making yourself scarce... ' _I'll be back_ '.” He quoted from their last movie marathon – **Terminator 1-4** – giving his best Arnold Schwarzenegger impression (and only succeeding roughly), then left Barry to his own devices.

Barry was just wondering how long he should wait until he could be certain that Cisco had forgotten about him while being engrossed in conversation with Laurel (a short glance in their direction had assured him that it wouldn't be too long anymore considering how animatedly both were talking), when he suddenly felt a warm, small hand touching his upper arm. A petite (and incredibly gorgeous) young woman maneuvered herself into Barry's field of vision, beaming up at him.

“Just look like you're happy to see me,” she whispered through her smile, eyes nervously flitting from a figure Barry could not properly see from the corner of his eye, to Barry's still dazed expression on his face.

Barry couldn't exactly say that he was not happy to see her (whoever **she** was), but just couldn't wipe the perplexed look off his face.

The young woman rolled her eyes at his befuddled reaction, but soon, her eyes darted back to that figure (that was heading for their direction, Barry could tell). She got up on her tiptoes, giving him a kiss on the cheek, “quick – put your hands on my waist” she instructed him, her warm breath tickling Barry's face.

Barry clumsily did as he was told, a flush making its way unto his face.

“It would come across as more convincing if you wouldn't blush so much,” Barry's mysterious acquaintance whispered, her hands wandering across his shoulders, as in an attempt to smooth out his button-down shirt.

“Who exactly are we trying to convince? And of what?” Barry finally managed to get out, trying his best to prevent himself from taking on an even deeper shade of red.

“See, there is this guy who just wouldn't stop hitting on me although I've told him multiple times that I wasn't interested – apparently that guy is one of these people who are so full of themselves that they can't imagine anyone not falling in love with their _charming_ personality –“ Barry let out a short laugh, her sarcasm thick on the word ' _charming_ ', “and I might have told him that I was looking for my boyfriend and “oh, there he is!” … and I might have pointed at you?” She told him nervously, the 'Prince Charming' coming closer (and boy, was that guy intimidating looking).

“So please, save me from that gorilla and pretend to be my boyfriend?” She asked desperately, fiddling with the buttons on his shirt.

How could he possibly say no to these big brown eyes?

“Alright,” he nodded, the blush finally disappearing completely, instead a look of determination settling on his face.

“Thank you!” She beamed up at him, genuinely grateful. “Oh, my name's Iris, by the way. West.”

Iris was just about to ask Barry for his name when her dreaded persecutor approached the two supposed lovebirds.

“So... this is your so-called 'boyfriend'?” The guy sneered, obviously not believing their farce.

“Yes, he **is** ,” Iris insisted, her glare so piercing that Barry was surprised the guy did not even flinch one bit. He tightened his grip around Iris's waist unconsciously, feeling the need to protect her from that... _person_.

“Babe,” Iris addressed Barry, still not knowing his name,”this is Tony, I told you about him? He just wouldn't believe me that I was already taken,” she snuggled up to Barry while saying that, not giving away in the slightest that they've only known one another for about two minutes.

“I remember,” Barry replied, suddenly getting an idea, “I'm Barry,” he introduced himself to Tony (and, more importantly, Iris), extending his hand in greeting (he somehow felt like he was reaching through the bars of a cage containing a tiger, only more in danger), “Barry Allen.”

Iris shot him an appreciative glance, instantaneously understanding the purpose of this act, then eyed the handshake between the two men worriedly.

Tony certainly did not try to hide the fact that he was trying to crush Barry's hand to bits (and considering that his arms were about twice the size of Barry's, he came pretty close to achieving his goal, for sure) but Barry wasn't about to give him that satisfaction, stone-faced returning the gesture. _**But man, that was gonna have a lasting impression...ow.**_

“I would have thought you'd pick more of a man than a flimsy boy,” Tony said with the most disdainful tone in his voice, after releasing Barry's hand, without deigning to look at Barry.

“Yeah, well, maybe our definitions of what makes a ' **man** ' differ widely,” Iris said with an icy voice, a menacing look on her face, “I'm surprised to learn that you think _at all_. Let's go, Bear.”

With that, Iris turned around, taking Barry's not-crushed hand in hers and lead him away from Tony at a brisk pace, not daring to look back. She only stopped when they arrived at the drinks table, making sure they weren't being followed.

“Oh my gosh, I'm soo sorry!” Iris apologized profusely, carefully grabbing Barry's other hand now (that was still red from the pressure of Tony's paw-like hands and kept throbbing unpleasantly). “I really thought that he would just let it go after seeing that he was fighting a losing battle, not trying to break your hand! I'm so, so sorry, Barry!”

“It's okay,” Barry placated her with a strained voice, doing his best not to wince when Iris's fingers brushed over his hurt hand, “I just hope that I could help you at all... I did not exactly get the feeling that I intimidated that guy into leaving you alone... _Ow_.”

Iris grabbed a couple of napkins from the table and wrapped some ice cubes in them, carefully putting the make-shift cold pack on Barry's injured hand, “here.”

“Thanks.”

Iris sent Barry a strange look that he could not really interpret: “You know, I don't really want to stay here anymore... I have a real ice pack in the freezing compartment in the fridge in my room, so if you want to, you could come with me... But only if you don't want to stay at the party!”

Barry grinned goofily at her: “I've been waiting forever to get to leave this party after my friends made me promise to stay at least until midnight; I think you just provided me with a sufficient excuse! Besides,” he added jokingly, “what kind of fake-boyfriend would I be if I didn't walk you to your room to make sure you arrive there safely?”

“My knight in shining armor,” Iris teased with twinkling eyes, linking arms with Barry, “come on, Bear, let's go.”

 

**Fin.**

 


End file.
